Got private label? Perrigo unveils store-brand OTC image campaign

ALLEGAN, Mich. — Perrigo on Monday announced it has kicked off a broad industry marketing and communications campaign to raise awareness for, and consumer confidence in, generic over-the-counter store-brand medications.

"Although we continue to see growing acceptance among consumers for store brand medications, questions and misinformation are still out there," stated Jeff Needham, Perrigo EVP and general manager for U.S. consumer healthcare. "We know there is a real benefit to helping educate consumers on how store brands are regulated, made and sold. It helps us, it helps the industry, it helps our retailers and, most important, it empowers consumers by giving them the facts and information they need to make purchase decisions."

Referencing other successful industry branding campaigns like "Got Milk?" or "Pork: The Other White Meat," Perrigo's primary objective for the "Store Brand Meds" campaign is to better educate consumers on the quality, value and effectiveness of store brand medications.

According to Perrigo, store brand sales account for 35% of the dollar share of all OTCs sold at retail today, but misperceptions about their quality and effectiveness still exist among some consumers. The Store Brand Meds campaign will rely heavily on social media, leveraging the campaign's recently launched Facebook page, YouTube channel and web site to spread the word.

Since the campaign's "soft launch" in January 2013, consumers have a new opportunity to learn about and engage with Store Brand Meds via its Facebook page. The campaign's videos on YouTube now have more than 3.2 million views. The company is also making significant investments in digital advertising, public relations and electronic couponing to drive more awareness about the campaign.

Although it varies by category, Perrigo estimates that a customer will save an average of 36% by purchasing the store brand instead of the name brand. According to Perrigo, the company's store brand OTCs save consumers around $5 billion annually.